To The Moon

[EN]: If you like a good, sentimental story and easy gameplay that lets you focus on that story then you have to try this game. It's worth it's price. It will leave an imprint on your mind I assure you. [PL]: Niesamowita gra dla sentymentalnych, kupcie. Kupiliście już? P.S. Soundtrack is available for listening on the author's page.

They have to clarify that is not a game perse, you have to threat this game as a visual novel, not as a game with decisions and such and the page should clarify that. To The Moon is a point and click game made in RPG Maker, but don't spect any rpg mechanics aside from a inventory system, no combat, no level up system, no items, no economy. The most "game" moments this game haves is puzzles and some specific moments were you have to move your character in certain ways to not advance a linear hallway, there's also no major preassure to hold you down, even if the story tell you so. I'm putting my critique in the most crucial parts of the game, the story, music and art. It's pretty good overall, silly, sad, drama, it has a lot of charm and heart, it's really that pretentious as some people may point, but some things don't get explain throught the adventure, you will notice while playing it. If you are sentimental, i'm really sure you will like this game. The writting is a little unproffesional, seems it is a trend with modern heavy-story based indie tittles, lots of pop-cult references without too much reason, unnecesary swears?, not good balance between the drama moments and the silly ones, lots of jokes like non-stop, and so on. The music is really good, catching piano tones, some vocals even, etc. You won't be dissapointed here. The art is on point, everything looks good, the handmade art even if it's little is also really good, it's a pleasure to look. The main characters relationship is also strange, they talk each other like if they were kids. And you may know these types of relationship, The Proffesional and the Unproffesional, The Serious one and the Funny one. It's really easy to spot and relate, even if the male character is kinda annoying. The legnth of this game isn't really that special either, you could end this game on a night, sit and relax. In conclusion, you definetly need to play this at least once in your life.

To The Moon is a sweet tale of how we bring life to a satisfying conclusion, but it ends up being more heavy-handed than profound. The music is beautiful and the artwork very good, but there is little gameplay here. Other than occasional adventures in pixel-hunting, mostly To The Moon just involves click through dialogue boxes. Which means all the value rides on the story. And while it has some nice elements highlighting aspects to life normally ignored in video games (e.g. childhood trauma, medical disabilities, etc.), the narrative feels very plot-heavy and staged for sentimental value. It's like a Lifetime movie turned into a video game. The dialogue wasn't novel enough and the story wasn't inspiring enough to keep me focused and invested. I finished in a little over 4 hrs, and while I certainly don't regret it, it left me feeling like this could have been so much more.

i cried i cried i cried i cried

The fact that I am literally typing this review with a soiled tissue in hand attests to the emotional impact To the Moon. It's funny, touching, melancholy and brave all at once, and it is a testament to the strength of interactive media for telling stories. Only some minor flaws make me hesitate to give it that fifth star; namely some awkward interface and control features, and annoying sprites that look like you should be able to walk over them but instead you bump into them... These things slowed me down somewhat but as I said they were small details and did not lessen the weight of the story, which is unique, honest and truly brilliant. I also appreciated some comic-relief jokes poking fun at the 16-bit genre, and even some references to modern pop- and pulp-culture which are unusual in this kind of game. I just played through it in less than an afternoon, with only one water break to replenish the fluids lost through my eyes and nose. The length is just perfect, and most players should be able clear it one sitting; the price is about the same as a movie ticket, and the game about twice as long as a typical movie, so I say it's a good value! It should be noted there is virtually NO challenge involved--To the Moon is about 1% game and 99% storytelling. Puzzles are a negligible aspect, and there are a couple arcade-style sequences but they are of extremely low difficulty and are used more for comic effect. Instead of a typical gaming experience you should approach this game prepared to ride along in a finely crafted story. I believe interactive media is the future of storytelling, and games of this caliber affirm that belief.